Spray bar for road oilers



Sept. 23 1941. H. R. ERICKSON S PRAY BAR FOR ROAD OILERS Filed Dec. 18, 1937 fnve nior Ai$orneys Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRAY BAR. FORROAD OILERS Henry R. Erickson, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application December 18, 1937, Serial No. 180,559

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for spraying liquid or semi-liquid paving materials upon roadways, and more particularly has to do with an improved type of spray bar for distributing such liquids.

Apparatus has been in use for many years for evenly spraying liquid binders such as heavy oils or liquid asphalt upon roads to unite an aggregant, such as gravel or crushed stone. The general method utilized is to keep the oil or a cut-back asphalt in a heated condition in a tank upon a vehicle, and distribute the heated surfacing material to a spray bar, which has a plurality of spaced valves connected thereto. The paving material is sprayed through the valves to form a strip of coating upon the road, which is fairly even and whose width depends upon the length of the spray bar, the spray bar, of course, lying transversely of the road and being moved along the road at a pre-determined speed to secure the desired thickness of coating.

One of the great disadvantages encountered in spraying surfacing liquids upon the road surface results from the tendency of the oil or asphalt to congeal or freeze in the relatively restricted parts of the valves. Some efforts have been made toward forcing all liquids from the spray bar and the valves after using the apparatus so that the paving material will not harden in the spray bar and valve. This has achieved some degree of success.

My invention, however, has as its general object the provision for preventing hardening of the surfacing material in the valves of the spray bar by utilizing the heat .in the liquid surfacing material to maintain the valves at such a temperature that the oil, asphalt, or other paving material will not harden or freeze.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spray bar having a jointed extension in which means is provided for controlling the circulation of surfacing material through the extensions, when said extensions are being used and to cutoff flow to said extensions when they are not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for simply and effectively exhausting most of the liquid paving material from the spray bar when it is not in use.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved spray bar shown in connection with a storage tank heater and control valve;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through approximately one-half of the spray bar with certain portions thereof broken away;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of the outlet valves; I

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the joint between the stationary bar and its extension;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation I of the end portion of the stationary spray bar;

chinery, not shown. The heater 9 is positioned beneath a. storage tank Ill adapted to hold a quantity of liquid coating material. The liquid coating material may be drawn from the tank I0 through a suitable pump I I, and down through the inlet pipe I 2 to the spray bar 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the inlet pipe I2 has a branch at its lower end to provide connections with the upper compartment l3 of the spray bar 1. The spray bar is divided into compartments by suitable partitions l4, which extend longitudinally of the stationary central spray bar 1 to the ends thereof. Thus liquid forced through the inlet pipe l2 and into the inlet compartment or conduit I3 of the spray bar will travel outwardly tothe ends of the central spray bar section Land from each end of said central spray bar section will travel through a port l5 in the end of the central section 1 and a port [5a in the inner end of the upper inlet conduit or compartment 16 of the spray bar extension IT. The spray bar extension has apartition l8 which extends outwardly toward the ends of the extension but terminates short of the end of said extension. This permits liquid to flow out to the end of each extension, thence around the end of the partition into the lower or return conduit or compartment I9 through the extenreturn port 2|.

sion outlet port 20 and the central spray bar The liquid then travels along the return conduit 22 of the main spray bar "liquid standing in or a pair of ports l and 2 stationary. spray bar section 1;

section! and upwardly through the return pipe 23 around the inlet pipe I2 and back into the storage and heating tank I0. Suitable valves 24 and 25 are provided to control the flow through the inlet and return pipes l2 and 23.

Positioned at spaced points along the stationary spray bar section I and the extensions ll'are outlet valves which control the flow of coating liquid through small outlet conduits 26 connected between the inlet conduits l3 and [6 of the main spray bar and its extensions. These valves include casings 21 of tubular formation whichextend across from one side wall of the spray bar outlet conduits or compartments to the other side wall thereof. Within these tubular elements 21 are positioned valve elements 28 having openings 28a. The movable valve elements 28 extend outwardly uporr'the side walls of the spray bar sections, and are secured by suitable threaded caps 29. Operating handles 30 are secured to the movable valve elements 28 so that said elements can be turned to either open or close the valve outlet conduitsZii. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the heated surfacing material flowing through the return conduit 19 and the spray bar extension and the return conduit 22 in the stationary spray bar section I will flow entirely around the valve structure, the

flowing liquid, of course, being the valve structure to maintain flowing through the valves so that it will not harden plug up or stick. The

heat from the transmitted to in heated condition, and cause the valve to 7 valve structure shown in Fig. 2 is illustrated in connection with one of the spray bar extensions, While'the structure shown in Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the valve shown mounted upon a stationary spray bar section '1. makes no particular difierence insofar as illustration of the-invention is concerned since all of the valves have identical structure.

1 As' shown in Fig. 5, the outer side Wall at each end ofthe stationary spray bar 1 is provided with l, to permit circulation of liquid to and from each of the spray bar extensions l1. These ports are sopositioned that liquid will. flow into each spray bar extension through the ports .l5a and outiof the extension through one of the ports 20. This is the normal operating position of the entire spray bar with the extensions down in the position shown in Figs.;l and 2. However, when the use of the extensions I'I is not desired, they may be drawn upwardly to the position We shown on the righthand side of Fig. 1, by any suitable means, such as a rope or cable ,3l, running over a pulley 32 and wound upon a drum 33. Thepivotal con:- nection between the spray bar extensions and the stationary spray .bar extension 1 includes tubular elements Bland 35 extending through ends of the spray bar sections, as shown in Fig. 4, with a bolt 36 running through the end'of a bracket 31 and through the tubes. 34' and-35 with a nut 38 at one end of the bolt. The abutting surface of adjacent portions of the spray bar sections form a stationary seal for the joint due to the relativelyhigh viscosity. Whenthe spray bar extensions are inthe upwardly turned position, indicated at Main Fig. 1, the spray bar-extension ports l5a and 2i! willbe moved out of alignment with the ports l5 and in the any flow from the stationary spray bar section to its extensions. In order to permit circulation n the stationary section 1 I have provided a pair This,

' a short by-pass conduit 4|.

of by-pass ports 39 and 40 adjacent the ports 15a and 20 in the inner ends of the spray bar extensions, the by-pass ports being connected by V This permits circulation of liquid from the inlet conduit or compartment l3 of the stationary spray bar section 1 downwardly and into the return conduit 22 in said stationary section 1. Thus circulation through the central stationary spray bar is unobstructed whether the extensions are in their vertical or in their horizontal positions.

In order to drain any material lying in the spray bar unit, I provide a small sump 42 in the central lower portion of the main spray bar section 1. This sump has an opening 43 which may be closed by a suitable valve 44, the latter rotating with a valve pin 45. To assist drainage of surfacing material from the spray bar through the sump outlet43, I have connected a suction line 46 to'a portion of the sump, the line running upto the pump H and being connected to the inlet side thereof. From the pumpthe liquid thus'drained may be returned to the storage tank ID, if desired.

In Fig. 6 I have indicated a modified form of spray bar. The small inner pipe 41 is connected to the equivalent of the inlet pipe 52 shown in the first described embodiment of my invention, and the outer large pipe 48 is intended to be'connected to a return pipe similar to the return pipe 23 in the first described embodiment One of the spray outlet valves is shown at 49, the interior construction thereof being the same as that shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will be seen that the outlet valve in Fig. 6 is also nearly completely surrounded by the heated surfacing liquid flow.

ing through the return pipe 48, thus keepingthe valve heated to prevent hardening or freezing V of liquid within the valve. It is, of course, understood that the inlet conduit 41 is open at its end spaced from the closed end of the return This cuts off conduit 48 so that circulation from onec onduit to the. other is provided. It was thought not necessary to illustratea joint showing the 'connection between a stationary spray bar .construcg. extension there-i relatively simple to construct and is not necessarily a feature of tion according to Fig. 6 and an of, since such a joint would be the general spray bar construction.

I In Fig. '7 there is shown a portion of a spray: bar structure in which the inlet pipe 50 extends,

through the outlet pipe 5! and communicates with the lower conduit 52 in the spray bar, and the outlet valves, one of which, is shown at 53 are positioned in the, lowerconduitffiZ. The valves feed liquid fromthe upper outlet conduit 54. With this arrangement, the hotter incoming liquid surrounds the valves and keeps them warmer than in the other described embodiments of the invention.

. From the foregoing it will be seen that I have produceda spray bar construction, which will permit free circulation of surfacing liquidtherethrough, and which in addition maintains the outlet valves in such condition that there is no possibility of hardening of the material with said outlet Valves. I have provided, also, a sirnp ly constructed joint between the main spray bar and its extensions, in the embodiment'di sclosed in Figs. 1 through 5, which will effectively control circulation through the spray bar as desired.

It will. of course, be understood that'various changes may be made in the form, details, ar-' 7 rangement and proportion of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spray bar for road oilers or the like, a first conduit, means for supplying heated surfacing material thereto, a second conduit substantially parallel to and adjacent said first conduit and in series fiow communication therewith at an end thereof, spaced outlet elements connected to said second conduit substantially throughout the length thereof, said outlet elements being extended through said first conduit and terminating substantially flush with the outer side of a wall thereof, said outlet elements being of less size than the interior of said first conduit, whereby the heated material in said first conduit will circulate around said outlet elements extending therethrough to prevent hardening of the surfacing material within said outlet elements.

2. In a spray bar for road oilers, a first conduit, means for supplying heated liquid surfacing material thereto, a, second conduit substantially parallel to said first conduit and having a common wall portion therewith, a series flow connection between said conduits at an end thereof, spaced outlet elements having flow connections with said second conduit through said common wall portion, said outlet elements extending through said first conduit to an outer wall thereof and having flow communication with the exterior of said first conduit, the interiors of said outlet elements being sealed off from the interior of said first conduit, and said outlet elements being of less size than the interior cross section of said first conduit.

3. In a spray bar for road oilers or the like, a horizontal relatively stationary double distributor conduit section, means for supplying heated surfacing liquid thereto, a double distributor conduit extension pivotally connected to said relatively stationary section at an end thereof, said extension being swingable from a horizontal to a vertical position, outlet valves positioned within portions of both of said sections to permit the circulation of heated surfacing material around said valves to prevent hardening of the surfacing material within said valves, and means for bypassing liquid from one portion of said stationary double conduit section to the other when said extension is swung to a vertical position.

4. In a spray bar for road oilers or the like, a header conduit, a partition longitudinally dividing said conduit into two sections, an inlet pipe communicating with the first of said sections, a communicating port through said partition to the second of said sections at a point remote from said inlet pipe, and spray outlet elements extending from an outer wall of said first section through said partition and having their interiors sealed from the interior of said first section, said outlet elements having liquid flow communication with the interior of said second section and with the exterior of said outer Wall of said first section.

HENRY R. ERICKSON. 

